DriveSmartBC

Mr. Victor Shymanski was charged with disobeying a traffic control device after he drove his commercial vehicle past a regulatory sign requiring him to stop and check his brakes. He was convicted at trial. Subsequent to that he applied for Charter relief, claiming that his rights under section 7 had been violated because a ticket for a violation of the Traffic Control Device Regulation under section 125 of the Motor Vehicle Act is vague and unenforceable. This case is the resolution of the requested relief.

Freeways in British Columbia are governed by a posted speed limit of 110 km/h and for the most part are only lit by a driver's headlights at night. The opposing lanes are fairly close together and require the use of low beam headlamps when other traffic approaches. When the highway is busy drivers are often forced to travel long distances on low beam. How safe is this at 110 km/h?

Professional drivers of commercial vehicles (as defined in the National Safety Code) are required to do both pre- and post-trip inspections of their vehicles on a daily basis. The list of items to be checked is extensive and is set out in a document created by the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators. The document also sets out the criteria that defines an out of service condition until that problem is repaired. All drivers should consider these standards as a requirement and inspect their vehicles at regular intervals to make sure that they comply.

Collisions have not been required by law to be reported to the police for quite some time now. In many municipalities today the police don't even attend collisions unless someone has been hurt or killed. Instead, the fire department may show up and the firefighters help participants exchange information and clear the scene.

On September 12, 2007, the plaintiff, Mr. Prem Singh, was travelling northbound on Scott Road (also known as 120th Street) in Surrey, B.C.  Mr. Singh approached the intersection at 96th Avenue. The traffic light was green for Mr. Singh.  As Mr. Singh went through the intersection, he hit a westbound RCMP vehicle driven by Constable Kerri Parrish who was responding to an emergency call of a man with a knife threatening to stab a child.

The contest for best whiplash prevention video has been narrowed down to four candidates. They have been chosen for their ability to increase awareness about the importance of adjusting your head restraint effectively to reduce whiplash injuries arising from rear-end car collisions. Please visit the campaign web site, view the videos and choose your favourite. The winner receives an iPad mini, a cash award and technical assistance with video production.

Today's vehicles are very complex machines that I'm willing to bet few of us read the operator's manual for. The active and passive safety systems in them can do a better job of protecting us if we understand how they work. The Brain on Board web site is full of written and video information to help you become comfortable with all of the high tech safety systems in your vehicle.

It seems appropriate to write an article on cycling as we are in the middle of May 27 to 31, 2013 which is Bike to Work Week. A topic in the DriveSmartBC Forum this week highlights a dangerous situation that is well worth discussing, vehicles making right turns across cycle lanes. Drivers may not understand the duties required of them by the lines painted on the roadway.

This case is an appeal of a conviction for excessive speeding. Gary Westgate was measured using a laser speed measuring device at 96 km/h in a posted 50 km/h zone. At issue was a document concerning a device used to measure the output of the laser device itself. The certificate had expired in April of 2006. Mr. Justice Rogers found that the certificate had nothing to do with the accuracy of the laser device and dismissed the appeal.